Let me start with this – never, at any time in the history of humanity, has it been easier to create, grow and market a product or service online.

The traditional gatekeepers that kept watch over the radio airwaves, printed word and television signals are gone, replaced by Podcasts, Blogs and YouTube.

An Opportunity … and a Challenge

For anyone attempting to market his or her product or service online in the 21st Century, this presents both an opportunity and a challenge.

The opportunity is simple – anyone with mobile device and Internet access can literally reach the whole world in moments thanks to the power and viral nature of social media.

The challenge, of course, is that you’re literally competing with everyone on Planet Earth for the time and attention of your prospects online.

The Reality Right Now on LinkedIn

On a platform like LinkedIn, for instance, it’s no longer enough to simply state who you are and what type of service or product your company provides.

We’ve never had more choice as consumers, and when there are countless people out there offering us the same (or a similar) type of product or service, how do you stand out from the crowd? (Remember, LinkedIn has 400 million members!)

The answer is easier than you think.

Enter Your “Secret Weapon” on LinkedIn

In fact, I’d even go so far as to say it can be the “Secret Weapon” of your entire LinkedIn profile, assuming you deploy it in a wise fashion.

Ready for it?

The Secret Weapon is …

You.

Yes, you!

What I mean is that at the end of the day, all things being similar, prospects will always choose to do business with someone they Know, Like and Trust.

I don’t think anyone reading this post would disagree with that reality.

The key is this – how do you create instant Likability, Credibility and Trust online?

Video is the Answer

With video, that’s how!

Next to being face-to-face with someone in person, nothing works faster at creating the “Know, Like and Trust” elements of a transaction like online video.

This is especially true on LinkedIn, where, next to your profile photo, the fastest way to begin building a relationship with prospects is by “talking” to them virtually via a LinkedIn profile video.

Here’s an example of how it looks on LinkedIn Riches student Lisa Anderson’s profile page:

See how it visually “pops” for the viewer? See the title where it says “VIDEO” in all capital letters? A prospect is instantly clued in on Lisa’s smiling face so he or she can get to Know, Like and Trust Lisa more.

A video goes where text cannot – it adds facial expressions, emotion, your voice and personality to the mix.

When, as a prospect, I get to see and hear you speaking in a way that feels like you’re talking directly to me, I begin bonding with you on a level far beyond scanning profile text. You instantly become more trustworthy, likable and credible in my eyes because I can see and hear you. I can look you in the eye, so to speak, and that makes an enormous difference as we begin our relationship.

LinkedIn Profile Videos – Examples

Here’s an example of my LinkedIn profile video, where I share my personality and the story about why I became a LinkedIn Trainer:

Notice in the example below from Lisa Anderson’s video how she parlays an award she received into instant credibility:

In this example, notice how Dan McKnight is able to integrate both his personal experience and the benefit/value his company provides its clients:

See how personal and powerful those examples are?

Don’t you feel like you know each person in those videos much more than you would have if you’d just read some brief text on LinkedIn?

Your Turn – Add Video to Your LinkedIn Profile!

Now, the next step for you is to make your own video!

I’ve got a slew of free resources, suggestions, and tips on my DIY Video page – this covers everything from on-camera videos to off-camera ideas as well, in case you’re uncomfortable being under the bright lights.

The important point here is to utilize video in one form or another, and then add it to your LinkedIn profile page. I’d even suggest you paste in your video at the bottom of all your LinkedIn posts. Use a title like “VIDEO: Meet John Nemo!” and put in your profile video at the bottom of the post along with any other Call To Action (CTA) items you want to utilize.